Denial
by Dancingqueen4Life
Summary: What happens when Clint's in denial about getting sick? Number three in my Clintasha one-shot week. Please read and review.


**On to the next one!**

* * *

Natasha smiled to herself as she looked at Clint. She stared at him for a few moments before finally deciding to make him move.

"Come on, Barton. You're sick, which means you need to be in bed."  
"'M not sick." He replied, making no move to get up.  
"Then why are you lying on the floor in the bathroom?" She challenged.  
"'M resting."  
"Resting? And how is tile more comfortable than a bed?"  
"It is."  
"Clint, come on." When he didn't move, Natasha stepped into their bathroom at Stark Tower and kneeled by his head.  
"No."  
"Clint, I need to check your temperature to see if you need to go to the hospital."  
"I don't. I'm not sick."  
"You've been like this for days."  
"Have not."  
"I'm not starting that again. Just let me take your temperature, please."

Clint finally rolled so that he was facing her. He gave her a doubtful look and shook his head.  
"Clint, stop being so annoying. I just wanna make sure you're not going to die."  
Clint covered his mouth before answering, preventing her from sticking the thermometer in his mouth. "You can't make me."  
Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "You realize there's more than one hole I can stick this in, right?"  
Clint's eyes widened in fear and shook his head violently.  
"I'm done joking Clint. Either open your mouth, or I'm shoving this up you ass." The fact that she said it in a sweet voice terrified him even more.  
He slowly uncovered his mouth and glared at her. "You're such a bully."  
Natasha stuck the thermometer under his tongue when he was done. "I know." She responded.  
They sat in silence until a beeping indicated that the thermometer could be removed. Natasha took it and sighed.

"102.4. Clint, that's really dangerous."  
"Is not. I'm fine, honest, Tasha."  
"Don't 'Tasha' me. You're sick."  
"No." Clint whined. "I'm just a little hot. But you already knew that, didn't you." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing Natasha to laugh.  
"You're burning up and you're still trying to get into my pants? Seriously?"  
"What's wrong with that?"  
"You're impossible. Come one, I put new sheets on the bed. They'll be nice and cold."  
"Don't need to move. I have to go into work. Gotta kill bad guys."  
"Nice try. Fury gave you sick leave. Said he'd kill you if you showed up anywhere near base or any missions."  
"You'll have to leave sometime. I'll just sneak out then."  
"Clint, the point of sneaking out is to not tell anybody that you plan on doing it. Anyways, Fury gave me time off to look after you, so I'm sticking by your side 'til you're better."  
"I am better. See?" Clint smiled, but all it did was make him look even worse.  
"Nice try, hotshot. Come on, bed."  
"Oo, Romanoff's trying to get me into bed."  
"If I say yes, will you get up?"  
"Maybe."  
"Fine, I'm trying to get you into bed. Let's go."  
Natasha pulled Clint to his feet and propelled him to bed. He fell face first into his pillow, but made no move to roll over. Natasha sighed as she started to go back to the bathroom.

"What? Now that I'm in bed, you're leaving?"  
"I'm getting medicine, birdbrain."  
"Don't want it."  
"Don't care."  
Natasha returned moments later with some pills for him to swallow.

"Tasha, these things are fucking huge!"  
"That's nice. Swallow them."  
Clint sighed but did as he was told, grimacing as they scraped against his sore throat.

"Good. Now sleep."  
"You're very bossy."  
"I am. But you'll feel better."  
"I feel fine."  
"Whatever, Hawkboy."  
Clint closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly. Natasha made herself comfortable on the bed, running her fingers through his hair. After a few minutes, she leaned in and kissed his head.  
"I love you, you crazy man." She whispered before falling asleep herself.

* * *

The next few days passed in the same manner, with Clint steadfastly denying that he was sick, and Natasha forcing him to take medicine. She had to threaten him constantly to get him to do anything, and she was quickly running out of things to threaten him with. Her most recent threat was that if he didn't take the medicine and stay in bed, she was going to snap his bow into a million pieces and shove each piece up his ass. He'd seen through that, but had taken the medicine anyway, on the off chance that she was serious.

After a week of the same thing, Clint was finally feeling better.

"I'm better, Tasha."  
"You've been saying that, Barton."  
"But this time I mean it."  
"Oh, so the other times you were lying to me?"  
"Well, um… gee, when you put it like that… I wouldn't call it lying… more like…"  
"Just stop, Clint. Before I have to shoot you for lying to me _again_."

Clint sighed and pouted, and Natasha had to remind herself that she did _not _want to laugh at his expression.

"You're such a baby." She muttered as she placed her hand on his head. He felt a lot cooler than he had in the last few days, but she grabbed the thermometer just to make sure.  
"That thing again?"  
"Yes, this thing again. We do it every day. Mouth open, or it goes up your ass."  
Clint sighed and opened him mouth. After a minute, Natasha pulled it out and smiled.

"99.0."  
"So, I'm better?"  
"Well, human body temperature is supposed to be at 98.6, so you're still not completely better…"  
"But human body temperatures fluctuate. And really? Four tenths of a degree is what you're calling 'not completely better'?"  
"Well…"  
"You're gonna miss taking care of me, aren't you?" Clint asked, a satisfied smirk on his face.  
"Of course not. You're a horrible patient."  
"I didn't need a doctor."  
"That's bullshit and you know it."  
"You're avoiding the question."  
"There was no question."  
"Whatever. Can I _please _get out of bed?"  
"Fine. But if you get sick again, I'm not taking care of you."  
"You and I both know that's a lie."  
"Whatever."  
Clint smiled as he climbed out of the bed. He grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. Natasha heard the shower turn on, and finally allowed herself to smile. In reality, she'd enjoyed taking care of Clint. It was just them, aside from the few occasions where Bruce had come to check on him, and she was glad to have had some time alone with him. Even though they were dating and spent every night together, unless one of them was on a mission, she felt like they hadn't really had much free time to just sit and talk since they'd joined the Avengers. There weren't any issues, she just missed the easy conversations and comfortable silences that being in his company brought.

She was so lost in her musings that she didn't hear the water turn off or hear Clint open the door.

"Nat? You ok?"  
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."  
"Are you sure?"  
"I'm fine, Clint."  
"Ok."  
He gave her a doubtful look, but continued to their closet to deposit his dirty clothes. When he was done, he made his way back to the bed, and began stripping the sheets, intending to wash and change them.

"Tasha?"  
"Hmm?"  
"I need to take the sheets off, and you're sitting on them."  
"Oh, sorry."  
When Natasha didn't move to leave the bed, Clint stopped his task.

"Tasha, really, are you ok?"  
"Yeah."  
"Haven't you learned not to lie to me?"  
Natasha chuckled. "I know. It's just…"  
"Just what?"  
"I feel like the last few days were the only days recently that we've just been us. Where we've been alone and could talk and joke around without worrying about other people over hearing."  
"Tasha, that doesn't have to change. We can still spend time together without anyone else around."  
"Promise?"  
"Of course. I love you Tash, and I love spending time with you."  
"Good."  
Natasha stood and helped lint with the sheets and made the bed while he took the others to the laundry room. When he got back to their bedroom, he pulled the covers back and climbed in, pulling Natasha in after him.

"I thought you wanted to get out of bed, Clint."  
"Now I just wanna spend the rest of the day with you."  
Natasha smiled as Clint pulled her close to his chest and kissed her head.

"I love you, Clint."  
"I love you too, Tasha."  
They laid in silence for a while, listening to the other breathe. Just as she was getting sleepy, Natasha decided to tell Clint something.

"Clint?"  
"Yeah?" His sleepy mumble answered.  
"I really did enjoy taking care of you."  
"I figured as much." He responded cheekily.  
"Ass."  
"But you love me."  
"True."  
"Goodnight, Tasha."  
"It's 10 AM."  
"But we're sleeping. So good night."  
Natasha smiled. "Good night, Clint."

She kissed his lips lightly once, and snuggled into his side, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck while his arm wrapped tightly around her. They fall asleep quickly, and managed to sleep through the rest of the day, as well as that night.

* * *

**There you go! I know I should have probably spent more time on Clint actually being sick, but I decided not to, so yeah. Hope you guys liked it.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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